The Tories have long adopted a tactic of abandoning votes they fear they will lose – and they look to repeat the manoeuvre, this time in the most scandalous and despicable of circumstances.
The government has frequently opted to avoid the appearance of defeat by not even trying to win votes including, to their historic and eternal shame, the vote on the release of their legal advice on Theresa May’s Brexit deal. By subsequently attempting to simply ignore the result, May led her government into ignominy as it became the first in UK history to be found in contempt of Parliament.
May expects to lose the vote catastrophically next week, when she seeks MPs’ approval for her dismal withdrawal deal with the EU and has been weighing up the possibility of simply hiding again. But this time, rather than not vote and therefore lose, she is contemplating a more complete cowardice – by not even putting the deal to Parliament at all.
By doing this, she hopes to pacify the Tories’ own hard right and the DUP long enough to gain time for a desperate attempt to persuade the EU to agree to remove the Northern Irish ‘backstop‘, which would create an Irish Sea border, before she brings a revised deal to Parliament.
The EU has been making noises about the possibility of ‘minor’ amendments – but the removal of measures to protect the Good Friday Agreement and the economy of the Irish Republic are anything but minor.
But May cannot contemplate a sudden announcement that she is abandoning the vote, especially after telling the country ad nauseam that her deal was the final and only option.
So the Tories have been edging toward the prospect and away again, but a little nearer each time – and each time briefing the media to say ‘it’s not going to happen, but it just might‘, with the ‘might’ becoming a little more concrete each time.
Sky’s Beth Rigby, for example, told the country at 3.06pm:
Yet not even fifty minutes later, the story was already metamorphosing a little closer to its likely final form:
May’s cowardice is more than deep enough to allow her to embrace the humiliation of running away from the vote – but her media consultants and the mainstream media are already softening the public up to minimise the blow.
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So this is what ‘Weak and Wobbly’ looks like.
What a consummate despicable, craven cowardly piece of stinky brown fertiliser Theresa May is!
A PM without competence, conscience or honour.
When can we break out the popcorn?
Beth Rigby
Verified account @BethRigby
NEW: Two cabinet sources tell me that at least four cabinet ministers – Gauke, Hammond, Clarke & Perry – have made it clear they could not support a move to No Deal. With Guake apparently saying as much in cabinet meeting (so it’s not just Brexiteers on resignation watch)
4:47 AM – 6 Dec 2018
I’m not much concerned about the Tories and their pathetic thrashing around. How Labour gets ahead of the game and takes the lead on ditching the Brexit nonsense is more important.
“Brexit nonsense”, couldn’t communicate greater sneering condescension of Labour’s working class antipathy to neo liberalism if you tried…well done!
….. but the majority of Labour voters voted for Remain. Even the Northern Irish now prefer to stay in the Single Market than stay the UK.
If only effete apologists for neoliberalism like, err… everyone here but you apparently… had half your insight into “Labour’s working class” (who, according to your latest polling, think exactly the same as you) we could smite those Tories good, couldn’t we?
It’s nice of you not to be sneering or condescending about the inadequacy of everybody else’s research into “what the working class thinks.”
Previous comment @ lundiel.
Effite is wholly your word not mine. You always try and twist my comments when defending your two friends.
All you are doing is repeatedly avoiding fact that the majority of Labour voters voted for Remain and that the majority of the electorate, now that they can see the reality, want a second vote.
If you want further confirmation that you are in the minority have a look at the NI Brexit poll in today’s Times newspaper.
Lundiel, someone else mistakenly took my agreement with other posters’ comments as ‘defending them’.
I know no-one here personally, have no likes or dislikes and I agree or disagree only with individual statements made whoever the poster might be. In fact I’m almost certain I’ve ‘liked’ posts of yours in the past.
I’ve never in my life been a part of any clique or gang or been party to any feud. When I’ve said my piece that’s it. Fresh start, next subject.
I could probably be less confrontational but I’m a stroppy old git – and you’re not exactly backward at coming forward yourself.
I’m always going to dispute assertions that remainers are all apologists for or enablers of neoliberalism.
David McN, I always enjoy your posts, even though they are occasionally impatient and sometimes startlingly “stroppy” Obviously, I don’t always agree with your P.O.V. (heaven forbid).
However, I must concur with Lundiel. I find the double act of sneering and condescending a lot harder to stomach, especially on a decent site like SkwawkB.
The plot thickens
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/brexit-theresa-may-offers-rebels-a-bigger-say-over-final-deal-vx6prjscv
Downing Street insisted today that next week’s Brexit vote is going ahead after the chairman of the 1922 Committee pleaded with Theresa May for a delay.
Sir Graham Brady, who represents Conservative backbenchers, publicly called for the prime minister to push back Tuesday’s vote, which most expect will result in a heavy loss.
She can’t do it without accepting that it’s a ‘No Deal Brexit’. Without ratification it ceases to exist. And I seem to recall her saying it’s better than No Deal.
I realise this is off subject but have just heard political editor of Sun ridicule Mr Corbyn for not mentioning Brexit at PMQs yesterday “only 24 hours after one of the most momentous days in recent political history “. The Suns headline the day after that momentous occasion concerned a model being groped in a nightclub.Suprisingly the hypocrisy of the Sun hack was not raised by the interviewer .
S*n = Tits and arse ooohherr utter utter gutter trash , wouldn’t use it to wipe dog shit of me shoe !
“Political editor” of The T*ts? You mean the guy who spends all day at the page 3 photoshoots to leer at the political opinions of all those young female voters from Essex?
With his pencil in one trouser pocket and a pad in the other?
Allegedly.
“It’s my deal or no deal!”
But Neo- Liberal Theresa you will lose.
“Oh I’d better play for more time.”
Yes don’t let MPs quite now choose.
“But Neo-Liberalism is in structural crisis”
Yes but pretend everything’s ok.
“And can I con for a Neo-liberal Fake Brexit”
But Corbyn’s for working people will win the day.
“So when’s the Neo-Liberal Cavalry coming?”
US Far Right billioniares are funding the Barbarians day and night.
“So can we win as stock markets decline?”
Only if Jeremy diverse working people cannot unite!
“So what are our chances of winning?”
Only if you can continue to CON otherwise – I see a global future despite the Barbarians moments in the sun of what some would call left wing democratic socialism what most citizens would just see this as a fairer, more equal, more caring and yes a Greener World!
International solidarity!
The scrawny chicken is running scared, AGAIN, TM to announce in The House at 15:30 today that Tuesday’s vote is going to be delayed.